Crews from Spokane County Fire Districts 3 and 10 responded to an ammonia leak at the Johanna Beverage Company, located on the 5000 block of West Thorpe Road on Saturday, Aug. 27.
Mitch Metzger, Fire District 10 deputy fire chief and Airway Heights Fire Department fire chief, said crews first received an emergency call from the Flying J truck stop about a man who was sick from an ammonia leak.
“We initially were going to evacuate Best Western (Peppertree Airport Inn),” Metzger said. “We were told the leak was at Johanna Beverages and the employees got out of the building and crossed the highway. The Flying J was their (the employees’) evacuation point.”
Paramedics treated eight people and one individual was taken to the hospital.
Firefighters enacted a level 3 evacuation around a one-third mile radius of the area. Crews wearing self-contained breathing apparatus went door-to-door alerting residents to evacuate the area.
Fire District 10 contacted businesses through its pre-fire plan. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic control. Thorpe Road between Abbott and Grove roads were closed until the leak was stopped.
Fairchild Air Force Base hazmat crews arrived on the scene and confirmed the exposure levels were low. Metzger said he let Fire District 3 personnel leave the scene shortly after Fairchild’s hazmat team arrived.
“We were done at about 9:30 p.m.,” he added.
Metzger said Fire District 10 staff will contact Johanna Beverages and coordinate emergency plans as part of a follow up investigation.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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